1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for controlling power of an external memory, and more particularly, to an external memory power control apparatus and method capable of controlling power of an external memory inserted into a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
New-concept mobile terminals with many additional features have been developed to meet the needs of consumers in addition to a traditional call function. Also, due to a rapid growth of wireless open networks and an expansion of the dissemination of high-end mobile terminals, diverse and dynamic content supply chains have been realized.
Further, in response to the needs for large amounts of content, an insertable/extractable external memory is commonly used in the mobile terminals in addition to the internal memory.
However, when a bad external memory whose power terminal PW and ground terminal GND are short-circuited is inserted into a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal may fail to boot up or undergo heating due to the overcurrent occurring in the external memory.
A mobile terminal is typically set to supply power to its external memory when it is powered on and operates a boot operation. Therefore, if the mobile terminal is powered on with a malfunctioning external memory inserted thereinto, an overcurrent of about 1-1.2 A may occur in the bad external memory which in turn causes the mobile terminal to fail to boot up. Moreover, the mobile terminal may suffer from heating due to the overcurrent occurring in the external memory.